US pours another $23 billion into Arsenal of Freedom to ramp up missile production
US Tomahawk missile stocks have been depleted during Operation Epic Fury. (Photo: US Navy)
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has opened the chequebook in an effort to increase missile production for ongoing conflicts and to replenish a rapidly diminishing stockpile as the war against Iran rolls on and Ukraine comes knocking for interceptor missiles.
The supply of PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors was already under pressure with Ukraine drawing on supplies from the US and Europe, a situation now exacerbated by the need for interceptors in the Middle East where Iran has retaliated against US attacks. Similarly, Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors are being heavily used in US and Israeli operations against
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